“Rethinking Heaven” in Time Magazine

April 10, 2012

Spotting the cover of the latest Time magazine (for April 16) on the news-stand out of the corner of my eye today (while waiting to post some items), I couldn’t resist buying a copy, just to see what the cover story was all about: “Rethinking Heaven” (by Jon Meacham).

The gist of the article is that a number of biblical/theological scholars recently have sought to remind Christians that the NT doesn’t offer a heavenly-spirit-existence as the ultimate great reward, but instead looks ahead to a bodily resurrection and a redeemed heaven and earth. In a surprisingly well-informed (and friendly) treatment of matters, Meacham (who confesses to being a Christian himself) refers to scholars such as Tom Wright, who emphasize the reality of Jesus’ resurrection and underscore that NT hope centers on resurrection, contending that this sort of hope can have significant consequences for action now on this earth.